How to Die - Chapter 2

Title: How to DieAuthor: Shell MelRating: PG - 13Warning: Some violence and near death scenes. Also for Ed's swearing.Spoilers: Spoilers for episode 22 and end of anime series.Characters: Edward Elric, Roy MustangSummary: AU Edward never though much about the incident back in lab 5 with the red water. He doesn't really remember it that much. He's seventeen now, repaying his debt by helping Mustang reach the top now Al finally has his body again. But what happens when he and Mustang become targets for assassination?Author Notes: Alternative ending to Anime series. Prologue is based in episode 22, while the rest is a year after the series.

Edward was running down the corridors of Headquarters. Normally this would be nothing new and just a part of what happened when he was around. Now was a very different situation. A small army seemed to after them and to top it all off he was lugging around his commanding officer on his shoulder. He was huffing and puffing from not only the strain of the man’s weight, but having to run with it. There was no way he could carry the man and be ready to use his alchemy quickly unless he did it like this. But damn! Mustang weighted a ton! Plus he was larger than him, making it awkward as hell.

The enemy was everywhere. Someone was attacking headquarters. Ed had already dropped the Colonel several times in order to fight off the enemy and neutralize them. The small peace he would gain never last for long. There just seemed to be a never ending amount of people waiting to attack them.

They would have gunmen and at least one alchemist with them. They were well and truly prepared to say the least. However, that didn’t mean they would win. Ed would sling Mustang to the ground; summon up some protection for his commanding officer before jumping into the fray.

A clap and his trademark blade would appear. The alchemists were good, but not as good as someone who had the knowledge of the gate backing them. Their alchemy limited in combat, obviously meant for suppression of their opponents. They could draw other alchemy, widening their options and possible influence over the battle, but Edward never let them get that far. He took them out before going after the guys with guns.

The guns pissed him off. He’d been grazed by more bullets then he could count at this stage. One particularly nasty was causing him to limp slight as it hit his thigh. A flesh wound but more than a graze for sure. If it wasn’t for his speed and alchemy he would be dead already, which meant Mustang would defenceless unless the git woke up soon. Fat chance. Lazy bastard.

The only problem was, he was being run down. If he wasn’t carrying Mustang, he was fighting. He had stamina. He had shit loads thanks to Izumi’s training, then four years running around looking for the stone, and then this last year hadn’t exactly been a piece of cake either. But even he had his limits. Ed had been on the run for nearly an hour now, constantly on the move. Every exit seemed impossible and hiding wasn’t an option. Every time he found a possible place to rest he was attacked. It just never ended.

He was approaching the mess hall. He slowed and listened. He could hear someone coming! He glanced into the room to spy Mustang’s team at the other entrance. Yes! Back up! He ran towards them when hell practically opened up before him.

Alchemists blocked his exit, cutting him off from the team and the entrance he had come from. Ambush! Edward practically threw his commanding officer under a table before putting up some walls of his own. He was constantly clapping summoning cannons, firing projectiles at the enemy. His cannons were keeping the enemy at bay while Mustang’s team seemed to be doing their best in order to make it into the mess hall. They had Armstrong on their side from the looks of things which meant they had two alchemists at least. Though, he was practically pinned down in the middle of the large space. He was a sitting duck.

Ed was so focused on the battle outside his barrier; he didn’t notice what was happening within it. He didn’t notice the twitching of Mustang under the table. He didn’t hear the bastard groan or start to move around. He didn’t notice as the disorientated man got up from under the table and stood up for the enemy to see. He didn’t notice until one shot was fired much too high to be aiming at him in his crouch. It was then he heard it, the sick ‘thud’ of a body hitting the ground behind him.

He’d head the ‘thud’ several times over the past hour. From the drop of bodies from the enemy, to when he was practically throwing his commanding officer around. But this was different. There shouldn’t be a ‘thud’ behind him. His eyes widen as he turn and saw Mustang on the floor, blood pooling around him. His mind went blank.

“No!” He screamed, fear ripping his heart in two at the sight of his commanding officer on the floor.

Not just his commanding officer, the pain in the ass of the past five years of his life. The person who had helped him get Al’s body back and continued to give him direction in life, his friend, Roy Mustang.

Ed didn’t even realise he was running towards Mustang until it was too late. He could hear Hawkeye calling his name, Armstrong yelling and the gasps of the team around them. He could hear the enemy talking around him when the pain hit him.

He gasped as the bullet hit him the back of the head. But that was it. Everything faded away and went to black for the boy. All he knew now was darkness and searing pain that flared up through his body, taking him over.